Hair of the Dog (25 page)

Before I could react, Austin quickly moved to block the door. “I'm afraid this changes things,” he said quietly.

Faith pressed herself against my legs. Her tail was down, her ears flattened against her head. I knew exactly how she felt. Now what?

Austin stared at me as though he was wondering the same thing. Clearly I hadn't been part of his agenda. We were even then, because finding myself in this predicament certainly hadn't been part of mine.

Behind his back, Viv began to edge her way across the hall toward an arched doorway that led into an expansive living room. Maybe she had a plan, I thought hopefully. Maybe I could help by providing a distraction.

“You've wanted Viv for a long time, haven't you?” I asked.

Austin didn't answer, but he did incline his head slightly, inviting me to continue. I tried out the same theory that I'd run past Aunt Peg.

“Viv didn't want you. She wanted Ron.”

“That was her mistake. But I knew she'd come to see that she was wrong. Ron was bound to slip up sooner or later.”

“And then he did. With Alicia.” I saw the pained expression that crossed Viv's face, but kept talking anyway. “He had an affair with her and she got pregnant.”

“He didn't deserve Viv. What sort of fool goes out for hamburger when he has steak at home?”

“You thought Viv would leave Ron then, but Alicia let everyone believe that Barry was the baby's father, and there was no way for Viv to know otherwise.”

“Of course there was a way!” Austin snapped. “I told her what had happened. She didn't believe me.”

Oh, yes, she had. Either that or she'd had suspicions of her own, because she'd yanked Leo out of Turk's kennel and sent him to Crawford, hoping to remove Ron from the path of temptation.

I glanced at Viv. By now she was nearly into the living room. Austin started to turn too. “You wanted Viv,” I said loudly. “Ron was the one in your way. Why didn't you kill him? Why go after Barry Turk?”

“That was obvious. Turk was inconsequential, a nobody. Besides, there was no way anyone would connect his death to me. Turk had so many enemies, the police had more suspects than they could count.” His voice was chillingly calm. For all the concern he showed, we might have been discussing the weather.

Anger, white and hot, seared through me “What about Bill Devane? Was he a nobody too?”

“You probably won't believe me,” said Austin, “but I didn't mean for that to happen. I went to his house to try and reason with him. To convince him that it wasn't in his best interests to take Alicia back. But he wouldn't listen me. He said he knew what he was doing.”

Viv slipped around the corner and disappeared.

“But your plan wouldn't work unless Alicia went to Ron. You hadn't succeeded in breaking up the Pullmans' marriage, but you were pretty sure that she could.”

“I knew she could,” said Austin. “Viv is rather charmingly old-fashioned. There was no way she was going to tolerate another woman in her marriage, especially not one carrying her husband's bastard. All I had to do was push Alicia to the breaking point, then let her do the same to Viv.”

“
All
you had to do ... ?” My voice rose and Faith tensed beside me.

Suddenly Viv reappeared in the doorway. Her arms were extended in front of her, her hands clasped tightly around the grip of a small silver handgun. One finger hovered near the trigger as she pointed the weapon at Austin.

“Now, Viv,” Austin said gently. “This is not good.”

“Oh, stuff it, Austin.” Viv's tone was tough, but her hands trembled. “It's over. Whatever you thought you were up to here, it's not going to happen.”

I looked back and forth between them. A gun? That was Viv's bright idea? Any more improvements like this, and I'd probably see my life flash before my eyes.

Austin took a step toward Viv.

She took a corresponding step back. “Don't come any closer, Austin. I mean it. I know how to use this.”

“Of course you do.” Austin extended a hand. Viv glanced at it warily. “But that doesn't mean you will, does it?”

Before he'd even finished speaking, Austin was already bounding toward her. Viv's retreat a moment earlier had told him all he needed to know. She might fire the gun, but she wouldn't do so without hesitation; and he intended to force the issue before she could react.

For that single crucial second, Viv froze. Austin grabbed her hands and wrested the pistol away. “That's better,” he said. “Now I need to think.”

“Take your time,” I muttered unhappily. As if things hadn't been bad enough. Austin had already killed twice. Anyone should have been able to figure out that arming him was not the way to go.

I reached down and threaded my fingers through banded hair in Faith's topknot, tugging on it hard enough to get her attention. I'd never yanked on her hair before, and she looked up at me reproachfully. I hadn't the slightest idea if Faith would protect me. I certainly hoped she wouldn't need to. But I wanted her to be ready, just in case.

Austin hadn't given her presence a second thought. His dogs were commodities, not friends and companions. It probably hadn't occurred to him that Faith would help me if she could. Though he kept the gun trained on me, he hadn't even glanced at her. As far as he was concerned, she was only a Poodle in a silly hairdo. Maybe we could surprise him.

“It will have to look like an accident,” he said after a moment. “Everyone knows you've been snooping around. You came over here and tried to break in. Already nervous because of what happened to Bill and Barry, Viv shot you by mistake.”

She gasped sharply.

“Viv won't go with you,” I said. Beneath my hand, Faith began to quiver.

“Yes, she will,” Austin said with the confidence of a man who is used to getting what he wants. “She'll come to understand that this was how it had to be.” He gestured with the gun. “Go through there, down that hall. We'll do it in the kitchen, near the back door.”

I glanced where he'd indicated. The hall was narrow and unlit. At its entrance stood a marble pedestal that displayed a bronze statue of two Chows playing. Dog art. Many fanciers' homes were filled with it.

“Come on,” Austin said impatiently. “Viv, you go first. Then Melanie.”

Viv had that dazed look on her face again. Her brief rebellion quelled, she didn't question Austin's instructions. She began to walk, and when he motioned with the gun again, I followed. There wasn't time to think or analyze. There wasn't even time to pray. When I hung back, Austin fell in right behind me.

Reaching the pedestal, I swept the bronze off the top. It was heavier than I'd expected and felt powerful in my hand. A welcome rush of adrenaline made me believe I might even be able to pull this off. I spun around, swinging the statue in front of me like a weapon.

I'd hoped to hit his arm, but Austin saw me coming and jumped back. Instead, the bronze slammed into the barrel of the pistol and sent it flying. The gun skittered across the Italian tile floor. Immediately Austin went after it. I went after him.

He was quicker than me and a step ahead. I'd have never reached him in time, but as it turned out, I didn't have to. Faith flew past me and launched herself into the air. Austin was off balance, reaching for the pistol when all forty-five pounds of her hit him in the back. He grunted and went down heavily.

Before he could recover, the gun was in my hands.

Austin rolled over and looked up. Standing above him, Faith showed him all her teeth. Clean, white, and strong, with a perfect scissors bite.

“What the hell?” he muttered, hand going to his head.

Faith growled menacingly. Who cared if it was all for show? It looked pretty good to me.

“The Poodle with the silly hairdo sends her regards,” I said.

I held the gun on Austin while Viv called the police. After that she went out to the garage, came back with a coil of rope, and trussed him expertly. There was a look of grim satisfaction on her face when she was done.

“How long have you known?” I asked.

“That Austin thought he was in love with me, for years. I figured if I didn't give him any encouragement, he'd eventually give up. He isn't, you know. In love with me, I mean. He hardly even knows me. He's just obsessed with something he can't have.”

I nodded. “When did you figure out about Barry and Bill?”

“Too late obviously.” Viv sighed. “When Barry died, I never even suspected. I guess that was the plan, wasn't it? But then Bill was dead too, and that piece came out in
Dog Scene.
I knew that was Austin's magazine, and I also knew how much he likes to control things.”

She spared him a withering glance. “That item wouldn't have appeared without his approval. That's what made me begin to wonder. Even so, until he showed up here today, I didn't really believe it. He told me he loved me. How can you kill somebody in the name of love?”

I didn't have an answer for that, and Austin, who might have, wasn't saying anything.

As soon as Viv's hands were free, I gave her back the gun. It was the first time I'd ever held one, and I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

The local police responded quickly to Viv's call. I imagine that's one of the perks of living in a place called Pullman Manor. We explained the situation in detail. The two officers didn't look entirely convinced by our version of events, but they did agree to take Austin in and hold him until their superiors could speak with their counterparts in Poughkeepsie and Patterson. I knew that Austin would have access to the best lawyers money could buy. I could only hope that with Viv and me filling in some missing pieces, the police would be able to build a strong enough case.

I left Viv speaking on the phone to Ron and drove back to the dog show to pick up Davey. I was hoping to slip in and out, but Aunt Peg was having none of that. Terry and Crawford came over and listened while I explained what had happened.

The recital was quick and concise. I skimmed over most of the unpleasant parts, and punched up Faith's role in my rescue. My audience nodded in satisfaction; there wasn't a Poodle doubter in the group.

Crawford asked a number of questions, and Peg had some of her own. Terry, however, was strangely silent. When he finally spoke, he was more upset than I'd ever seen him.

“It was all my fault,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Crawford asked sharply.

“I was the one who told Austin that Ron was the father of Alicia's baby. I didn't know that it mattered. It was at the end of June, we were at the Staten Island show. He asked and I told him.”

I thought of the weeks it had taken me to pry that information out of Alicia. “How did you know?”

“Alicia'd been at the show the day before, and she wasn't feeling well. They call it morning sickness, but she was green all day. We were sitting around waiting for groups to start, and not much was going on, so I offered to do her hair. I thought it might cheer her up, you know?”

I nodded. Terry's credo: When in doubt, do hair.

“So of course we got to talking. I can't put my hands on somebody's head without opening my mouth. Kidding around, I said, ‘Hon, you'd better hope that baby doesn't have Barry's nose.' Alicia just laughed and laughed, then said, ‘Believe me, there's no chance of that.' It wasn't as though I couldn't figure out what that meant. I have eyes, don't I?”

Terry paused, looking stricken. “But I never knew that Austin ...”

“None of us knew,” I said firmly. Crawford and Aunt Peg nodded their agreement. “If he hadn't found out from you, I'm sure there'd have been another way.”

The Non-Sporting group was announced over the loudspeaker and Crawford and Terry went to get Leo. I thanked Douglas for taking care of Davey and packed up my son's toys. On our way out of the tent, we passed Beth and Ralphie, loading up their van to go home. Even though I knew she'd want to know who killed Barry, I wasn't up to explaining again. Besides, I was sure she'd read about it in
Dog Scene
soon enough.

“Good show?” I asked automatically.

Beth shrugged. “Is there such a thing?”

“It's no way to make a living,” Ralphie said. He loaded in the last crate and slammed the side door shut. “At least she's finally beginning to figure that out.”

I reached around him, opened the door, and closed it again. It slid smoothly in its tracks. Ralphie looked at me and grinned. “Damn thing used to stick all the time until Beth told me about it. Am I good, or what?”

“You're good, Ralphie.”

When we got home, I fixed Davey his dinner and let him eat it in front of the TV while I went into the kitchen and called Alicia. By the time I got her, she'd already heard the news. Amazingly Viv had called to offer some sort of an apology. Shortly after that, the police had been by to ask some questions. It was looking as though there would be enough physical evidence at the scene of Bill's murder to link Austin's car to the crime.

Alicia also mentioned that when Bill's will was read, she'd been named the sole beneficiary. She'd inherited the small farm they'd lived in together and was planning to stay there at least until after the baby was born. Beth was still interested in buying Barry's kennel, probably for boarding rather than showing. She and Alicia were working out the details.

Davey and I ate tomatoes until we never wanted to see another one, then donated the rest of Bill's bumper crop to a local soup kitchen. I was sure he'd have been pleased to know they went to a good cause.

The following week, Sam stopped by Aunt Peg's and picked up his new puppy. Tar was freshly bathed and clipped and looked like a woolly black lamb in his puppy trim. Sam and Peg are already talking about the shows next spring that he'll be eligible for.

School starts in a couple of weeks, and in the meantime we have custody of a guinea pig. Davey has a birthday coming up next month, and Faith's still growing hair. It's pretty much business as usual except that Aunt Peg's taken to wearing a Mets T-shirt and throwing around terms like RBIs and earned run average.

“Will wonders never cease?” I asked her.

“Not if I can help it,” Peg said, grinning.

I'm taking that as a promise.